Do you want to have LASIK but are worried about what the procedure entails? Are you nervous that you won’t make a good candidate?
The good news is that most people who want LASIK will qualify for it! The procedure is also quick and minimally invasive, meaning you’ll be back home before you know it.
You won’t feel any pain thanks to numbing eye drops, and you’ll see clearly almost immediately. Most patients can return to work the next day, meaning you’ll show off your improved vision in no time.
Recovery is easy, too, and worth it to have the vision of your dreams. If you’ve dreamt about visual freedom from glasses and contact lenses, you can make those dreams come true with LASIK.
Over 95% of patients achieve 20/20 vision or better, eliminating the need for glasses or contacts. And the process is a whole lot easier than you ever imagined. Keep reading to find out why getting LASIK is much simpler than you think!
Most People Make Good LASIK Candidates
Around 85% of people seeking LASIK make great candidates for the procedure. Some of the factors necessary to qualify for LASIK include:
- You have to be at least 18 years old
- You have a stable prescription, meaning it hasn’t changed in a year or more
- You have to be in good health
- You’re not currently pregnant or nursing
- You have no other eye conditions besides a refractive error
- Your corneas are thick enough
- Your pupils aren’t too big
The only way to find out if you are a LASIK candidate is to schedule a LASIK consultation. Even if you have a consultation and decide you don’t want the procedure, there’s no commitment to have LASIK.
You may also find out you don’t qualify and may be more suitable for an alternative procedure like PRK. About 10-15% of potential LASIK candidates find out they are not good candidates. If you do qualify, you can look forward to better vision than ever before.
A Painless Procedure
Unlike other procedures, you’ll be awake during LASIK. There’s no need for general anesthesia, making LASIK low risk.
You’ll receive numbing eye drops before LASIK starts to ensure you’re comfortable and can’t feel any pain. There are also no needles or blades used. Only lasers are used during LASIK to reshape your cornea and correct your refractive errors.
Quick Procedure
Although it seems like a vision correction procedure that reshapes your cornea should be complex and complicated, it’s not. LASIK has two main parts.
The first is creating a corneal flap with a femtosecond laser. The second is reshaping the tissue under the flap with an excimer laser.
A femtosecond laser is a laser that separates tissue without penetrating the surface of that tissue. Using a femtosecond laser allows your LASIK surgeon to make a flap in the top of the cornea in the least invasive way possible.
The tissue is separated to keep the top of the cornea detached. It’s detached except for a small hinge that keeps it attached while opening the flap.
Doing so allows the flap to act as a natural bandage that protects the eye as it heals when it’s replaced after completing LASIK. You may feel pressure on your eye when your surgeon creates the flap, but it only takes a few seconds.
The primary part of the vision correction procedure uses an excimer laser which reshapes your cornea to correct your refractive error. The excimer laser removes tissue to reshape your cornea, altering how light refracts through it so you can see without the aid of contacts or glasses.
Most patients feel nothing during this part that only takes a few minutes. After treating your eyes, you’ll have the corneal flap replaced.
Then, your LASIK procedure is over! The flap stays in place and doesn’t need any stitches. As your eyes heal, they’ll eventually fuse back to the rest of your cornea.
After taking some time in the recovery room, you can go home. You can’t drive as your eyes will still be numb.
Your vision may also be blurry. Once you get home, you’ll be able to relax and recover.
Easy Recovery
Most patients only experience minor discomfort after the numbness from the eye drops wears off in the hours following having LASIK. This discomfort is minimal and lasts a day or two at most.
You can also take over-the-counter painkillers to minimize this discomfort. Besides that, you’ll be able to get back to your regular activities after LASIK.
For a few weeks, you’ll have to be careful about your eyes and refrain from wearing eye makeup, going to a pool or hot tub, and playing contact sports. You’ll also have to use prescription eye drops regularly.
The drops help prevent infection and reduce inflammation. But after a month you’ll be able to return to your normal activities.
After correcting your vision, you’ll start seeing immediate improvements. Your eyesight will only continue to improve until it hits its peak once you’ve fully healed 3-6 months after surgery.
Most of that time, your eyes will feel normal even though they haven’t technically healed completely. Even though your eyes are still recovering, you’ll still be able to see better than you ever could when you wore glasses or contact lenses.
LASIK surgery is a lot easier than you think. As long as you have the right expectations and follow your surgeon’s instructions pre-and post-surgery, you’re very likely to end up with the kind of vision you’ve only dreamed of your whole life.
Are you looking for LASIK eye surgery in San Antonio? Schedule your LASIK consultation at South Texas Eye Institute now! It’s hard to imagine how incredible your vision could be, but it’s better than anything you’ve ever seen!
